July 10, 2012

Book #71 - Magic Bites (Kate Daniels #1)


Magic Bites, Ilona Andrews
260 pages
urban fantasy
Started 6/27/12
Finished 7/2/12
3.5 STARS

I was shocked when I just typed that up there - 260 pages?! What the... what?? There was so much packed into this book, that it really seemed as if it was a bigger book than that. Not to mention that it took me nearly an entire week to read it. So weird.

So, Kate Daniels is a mercenary in future Atlanta. She is hired by those with enough money to pay for her services, and/or those who have a problem that is too big for them to handle by other means. The problems Kate usually handles are of the magicky, supernatural variety. And, she's very well suited for them. Kate doesn't take crap from anyone, she doesn't respond well to authority, and she's one powerful chick. But, when her mentor/father-figure is murdered by someone who seems to want a turf war between the town's vampires and shifters, Kate takes it upon herself to do whatever it takes to find his killer. And, strangely, she makes a few allies along the way.

Ok - where to begin? There is some ca-RAZY world building going on in this book. Andrews has created a very complex, detailed future - one that I still don't think I completely grasp even after finishing the book. To be honest, I was at least a little confused (and sometimes a lot confused) for nearly the entire book. I think Andrews could really have taken a bit more time to explain the background behind the whole magic/tech world a bit more. I think it would've made a huge difference.

However, despite my constant state of confusion, I never felt the urge to abandon the book altogether. I was urged onward by a desire to find out what happened to Kate's mentor. Despite Kate's abrasiveness, I found myself liking her and wanting to know more about her and her past. And, I luuuuuurrrve Curran. I hear from friends who really enjoy the Kate Daniels series that this book is the "worst" in the series, so I look forward to reading the next one to see what happens next! 

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